Baylor
UC Irvine
Turley Pitches Baseball to 4-2 Win vs. UC Irvine
3/2/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
 2UC IRVINE (5-4) Rank: NR |
Box Score | Quotes | Highlights |  4BAYLOR (8-2) Rank: #25 |
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March 2, 2012
WACO, Texas - Baylor's offense scored four early runs, and Josh Turley allowed only one run in 7.0 innings, as the 25th-ranked Bears knocked off UC Irvine, 4-2, on Friday night at Baylor Ballpark.
Baylor (8-2) plated a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead. Nathan Orf led off the first with a single and scored on Cal Towey's double down the right-field line. Max Muncy followed with a grounder to third that was thrown away, allowing Towey to score.
In the second, Jake Miller led off with a double to right field, Lawton Langford reached on a bunt single and both runners advanced an extra base on Taylor Sparks' second throwing error in as many innings. A wild pitch moved Langford up to third, and Orf followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home what would be the Bears' final run of the game.
"We just unsettled them a little bit early in the game," head coach Steve Smith said. "Their starter wasn't as sharp as he can be. He settled in, and it was clearly a game. It's really hard to play a game where you score four early and don't score again ... it's more a credit to them on the mound than us. I think we're working hard, taking good at-bats. They just had some quality guys on the mound."
Turley (1-0) allowed one run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. He worked into the eighth inning, but after a single and two walks, Dillon Newman came on in relief with the bases loaded and no outs. Newman allowed a sacrifice fly to Jordan Fox, but he retired the next two batters to keep the Bears in front 4-1.
"I thought he mixed and threw strikes," Smith said. "He had two or three pitches going, so he just changed speeds, pitches. It was a typical Josh Turley-type of outing, very much what he's like when he's on."
UC Irvine (5-3) threatened in the ninth, getting three consecutive two-out singles to cut the Bears' lead to 4-2 and put the potential tying run on base, but Newman completed his second save of the season by catching Tommy Reyes looking at a called strike three.
Turley pitched efficiently through his first seven innings, needing only 88 pitches to hold the Anteaters scoreless on three hits. He allowed only two runners to reach second base through the first seven frames - those runners advanced due to a balk and an error, and neither advanced to third base.
Muncy advanced his career-high on-base streak to 28 games in a 2-for-4 effort. He's one of only two Big 12 players to hit safely in each of his team's games this season - the other is Texas Tech's Barrett Barnes - and he's one game shy of tying his career-long hitting streak of 11 games.
Orf and Towey each went 1-for-3 with a run and one RBI, and Jake Miller and Langford each had a hit and scored a run. Joey Hainsfurther was in the starting lineup for the first time this season and drew a pair of walks.
The Bears return to action with a pair of games Saturday at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor takes on Lamar at 2 p.m. and UC Irvine at 6 p.m. Junior right-handed pitcher Max Garner is scheduled to start against Lamar junior left-hander Jonathan Dziedzic in the afternoon game.
Baylor has not announced a starter for the nightcap against UC Irvine, but the Anteaters plan to start sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Thurman. Fans can receive free admission to both of Saturday's games with a ticket to Saturday's women's basketball game against Iowa State.
